Fenway West - The Boston Red Sox Western Home

Friday, March 21, 2008

The Cup Game

Some of you have heard of the baseball "cup game." There are lots of variations on this game, but basically it goes like this: You get a beer during before the national anthem in one of those big souvenir cups. You need to drink it fast before the game starts. You then get with your friends at the ballpark and decide who's in the game. The first person holds the now empty souvenir cup for the first batter. If the batter gets a single, he/she puts a $1 in the cup $2 for a double $4 for a homer, etc. After hits the person holding the cup passes it to the next person in line. The cup doesn't move for outs. The person holding the cup at the last out wins all of the money.

You can include other items like reversing the cup when the pitcher touches the rosin bag, skip 2 for a broken bat, $10 in the cup for the person holding it if a manager gets thrown out of the game, etc.

We enjoyed the cup game last night in Peoria, AZ during the Cactus League game between the Mariners and Padres. I was unfortunate enough to be holding the cup every time Ichiro came up to bat. He went 3-4 last night. He picked the wrong time to break out of his slump! However, the cup found its way back to me for the final out, a nice bonus for the day.

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Lester Pitches Well Before He Goes To Japan

Jon Lester played on more game in Fort Myers before he had to make his way to Japan to join the rest of the team. Lester pitched in an intrasquad minor league game going 5 hitless innings with 8 K's. Lester leaves for Japan tomorrow. He gave an interview to the Projo after the game:

“I guess it served it purpose, more or less. I was able to get my pitch count up, got the innings and got my work. I would have liked to have been on the plane with the team, but it’s alright. Now that I’ve got my pitch count up I don’t have to worry about anything. There are no limitations going into the season and I’m ready to go.”

Coco to Rays?

ESPN's Buster Olney reports that Tampa Bay failed to sign Kenny Lofton and the Rays are now in need of a center fielder. Coco has become a target for a possible trade. Tampa is in the same division so a trade may not sit well with ownership but the Rays have cheap young talent that may entice the Sox.

Kyle Snyder.....Mr. Celery

While the Sox were boarding the plane yesterday they had loaded the Wally the Green Monster suit but did not have the person to fill it. According to the Boston Globe, Red Sox executive Meg Vaillancourt asked for volunteers to be Wally on the trip. Kyle Snyder responded by saying: "I did that once already when I pitched in Wilmington, I was Mr. Celery for one game. It was hot in there."

Sox Have Landed...Next Up: Hanshin Tigers

The Red Sox have landed in Tokyo and are on the bus to the hotel after the 18 hour flight from Chicago. Their first exhibition game will take place tomorrow at 11:05 Eastern (8:05 Pacific) against the Hanshin Tigers. The Tigers beat the Yankees 11-7 when they played them in 2004. For those of you who have some time to kill before the next tip off you can listen to the Tiger's fight song. The lyrics are below.

The Wind of Mount Rokko
(The official English version, but not a direct translation.)

Dashing swiftly through the wind blowin' from Rokko
Like the big sun soaring in the clear blue sky
Mighty spirit of the youth shows the victor's grace
The name that shines in glory "Hanshin Tigers"
Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Hanshin Tigers
Hooray, Hooray, Hooray, Hooray!

Powerful hits and skillful pitch achieved a thousand times
Trained with every discipline here at Koshien
Crowned with constant victory glorious, matchless feat
Always proud, invincible "Hanshin Tigers"
Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Hanshin Tigers
Hooray, Hooray, Hooray, Hooray!

Sox On A Plane

As the Red Sox fly to Japan there will not be much news coming out....unless we get an update on Ortiz's poker game. Hopefully you have your bracket filled out for March Madness to tide you over until baseball resumes. (pick Memphis to win it all) Watch live NCAA games by clicking below:
Watch Live Games

Is Japan Trip a Good Thing?

It depends who you ask. The Japan trip will be good for MLB's bottom line. It will be good for the home-country fans of Dice-K.

How about the fans in Ft. Myers? They only got 13 home games at City of Palms Park when most teams get 16 home games in the Grapefruit League.

A 6:04am Eastern start time on a Tuesday isn't good for any baseball fan. Opening Day is a big deal. It's hard to get fired for a game that starts before the sun rises.

I think it will be hard to see how the Sox season benefits from the trip. The jet lag may well take a toll. I think future Japan trips should be exhibitions at the start of March, not official games at the end.

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

El Gordo Gets Sent Down

Bartolo "el Gordo" Colon was sent to minor league camp today after starting 2 Grapefruit League games for the Red Sox. On Tuesday Colon was shelled by the Yankees sealing his fate for the start of the season. He was able to reach speeds on his fastball that many thought he would not obtain after his injury but his control suffered. With some work in the minors he should be able to return to the club by mid-season.

Dispute Over...Sox Win

The Red Sox won their dispute with MLB and according to Curt Schilling they got what they wanted. The trip to Japan is on as well as today's game.

Dice-K did not make the start today because of the delay, David Aardsma is the starter against the Jays. Both Coco and Ellsbury are in the game, Jacoby is in left, but Pedroia is in the lead-off spot.

UPDATE: PLAYERS VOTE TO BOYCOTT JAPAN TRIP

In a player only meeting today the Red Sox voted to boycott the Japan Trip and refuse to get on the plane unless MLB compensated coaches equally with players. ($40,000 appearance fee) The players voted unanimously and also may skip today's game against Toronto. Many Red Sox players and coaches believed the MLB had originally agreed to compensate all coaches and were reneging on the deal. Tito said the following: “As of 9:04 it does,” said a visibly upset Francona when asked if the goings-on had cast a pall on the day. “We’re spending energy on something we don’t want to spend it on. I don’t understand it. I was embarrassed this morning. I had to tell them, ‘Hey, that money you may have already spent, go get it back.’ I was the one who told them.”

MLB will have no choice but to pay the coaches, the Japan Series is to get Major League Baseball exposure in other parts of the world and extend the market for MLB products. This will blow up in Bud Selig's face and MLB come off as cheap. But as Ken pointed out in his post on the Cape Cod League; they can be very cheap.

UPDATE 12:03 PM Eastern: Today's game is on ESPN and Sox players are not leaving the dugout.

Update II: Game On due to some settlement...developing

Sox Players Considering Japan Trip Boycott?

The Boston Herald has an interesting story this morning regarding the Japan trip. It cites sources saying that Sox players will be holding a players-only meeting this morning. The players will reportedly be discussing the issue of pay for coaches. Apparently, coaches were not being paid the 40,000 that each player was for the Japan trip.

Sources are saying that the Sox players may consider boycotting the trip if the coaches aren't paid. They are scheduled to get on the plane to Japan later today.

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Vlad Goes Yard

The Sox have the day off, so I thought I would post a little bit about the Angels game that I went to today in Tempe, AZ. The Angels bats continue to impress. They had 11 runs off of 12 hits today. Vlad hit a monster shot out over left center.

Gary Matthews Jr went 2-3 and stole a base (must be the HGH). Izturis and Torii Hunter also went 2-3.

I'm glad the Angels are in the AL West and not the East. They look good this year.

Yesterday I was in Surprise, AZ for the Texas-Mariners game. I've been to 3 different Cactus League parks in the last 3 days, and I can attest that this is indeed Red Sox nation. Lots more fans in Sox gear than Yankees gear.

Kapler Trying To Make BrewCrew Roster

Sox fans always appreciate the effort that Gabe Kapler put in when he was on the team. After retiring and spending some time coaching in the minors, Kapler is trying to make a comeback and earn a spot on the Milwaukee Brewers roster.

I was at the game today in Tempe (the Cactus League home stadium for the Angels). Most of the Brewers starters had the day off, but Kapler made the road trip. He went 1-3 with a double and an RBI. Kapler is hitting .270 for the spring and looks like he will make the club. We wish him the best.

30 Man Roster Set

Goldblog has posted the 30 man roster for the Japan Trip, here it is:

PITCHERS (13): David Aardsma, Clay Buchholz, Bryan Corey, Manny Delcarmen, Jon Lester, Javier Lopez, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Hideki Okajima, Jonathan Papelbon, Kyle Snyder, Julian Tavarez, Mike Timlin, Tim Wakefield.

CATCHERS (3): Dusty Brown, Kevin Cash, Jason Varitek.

INFIELDERS (8): Sean Casey, Alex Cora, Mike Lowell, Jed Lowrie, Julio Lugo, David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis.

OUFIELDERS (6): Coco Crisp, J.D. Drew, Jacoby Ellsbury, Bobby Kielty, Brandon Moss, Manny Ramirez.

Funny Red Sox Commercial

Coco Update

The Globe is now reporting that Coco will make the trip to Japan. One reason for this might be the Red Sox wanting to show off Coco first hand to the A's. Oakland and Boston have been discussing potential trades since the A's options in center are limited. If Coco can be ready to play by next week we may see him in some of the games in Japan to showcase his talent to a possible suitor.

Sox Option Hansen and Carter to Pawtucket

The Red Sox optioned pitcher Craig Hansen and outfielder Chris Carter to Pawtucket after yesterday's game against the Yankees.

Terry Francona said the following about moving Hansen down:
"With the shortened spring, we didn't want to send him down yet.
Now we had to, because we're leaving. We told him he had a good camp. He's growing up. He's one of those other kids that's growing up right in front of our eyes. It wasn't the [most enjoyable] news for him, but he's going to be the Manny Delcarmen of this year. He'll go back and do it right and come back and help us."

Chris Carter was one of the surprises of this spring after coming over from the Nationals in the Willy Mo trade. With the abundance of outfielders on the Red Sox there is no room for him on the team but he is nice insurance to call up when someone gets hurt.

Tito Speaks About El Gordo's Rough Outing

Sox Skipper Terry Francona told the ProJo: “We got to a point in the first inning where we started to worry about leaving him out there. We wanted to get him to 50 pitches, but not in the first 10 minutes of the game. His arm strength is good and his attitude is outstanding.”

“He’s going to help us win some games,” said Francona. “We all feel that way, and I’m glad he feels that way.”

Monday, March 17, 2008

Red Sox-Yankees Update

Sox go in order in the first. Bartolo is hitting mid 90's on his fastball but had given up a hit and 2 walks to load the bases in the first before Matsui hit a ground rule double to give the Yanks a 2-0 lead. Cano follows with a double to left scoring 2 more....el Gordo is not getting it done and is laboring in the first....after 42 pitches, 3 hits, 3 walks, and 4 earned runs, Bartolo's day is done. Tavarez is in for the Sox.

Things could get interesting because Tavarez beaned Jeter in the second. Bobby Abreu follows with a 2 run homer to put the Yanks up 6-0.

Yankees retaliate by having Pettitte throw inside on Big Papi. Youk hit a solo homer to lead off the 4th. Jacoby has two hits but the Sox still trail 8-4.

The Red Sox are not wearing green uniforms today.

Starting Rotation Becoming Clear?

The Globe has the latest on the Sox starting rotation. Here's how they see things shaking out in the coming days/weeks:

March 21: Red Sox vs. Hanshin Tigers (Exhibition in Japan) -- Clay Buchholz
March 23: Red Sox vs. Yomiuri Giants (Exhibition in Japan) -- Tim Wakefield
March 25: Red Sox vs. Athletics (Regular season opener in Japan) -- Daisuke Matsuzaka
March 26: Red Sox vs. Athletics (Regular season game in Japan) -- Jon Lester
March 28: Red Sox at Dodgers (Exhibition) -- ???
March 29: Red Sox at Dodgers (Exhibition @ LA Coliseum) -- ???
March 30: Red Sox at Dodgers (Exhibition) -- ???
April 1: Red Sox at Athletics (Regular season) -- Daisuke Matsuzaka *
April 2: Red Sox at Athletics (Regular season) -- Jon Lester *
April 4: Red Sox at Blue Jays (Regular season) -- Clay Buchholz *
April 5: Red Sox at Blue Jays (Regular season) -- Tim Wakefield *
April 6: Red Sox at Blue Jays (Regular season) -- ???
April 8: Red Sox vs. Tigers (Opening Day at Fenway) -- ???

Dice-K to Shine in Japan

It's official. Dice-K will get the opening day start for the Red Sox in Japan. While every Red Sox fan wishes Beckett was 100%, it is great to see Dice-K given this opportunity. You know he will bring his A-game in front of his home-country fans. It's also likely that the Red Sox will now get the Tokyo crowd on their side in the Japan opener.

I expect Dice-K will put in a memorable performance. Stay up late, get up early. Either way, be sure to tune in.

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Hello From the Cactus League

Scottsdale is 2280 miles from Fort Myers, but it's closer to drive down here from Durango, CO where I live. So, while I don't get to watch the Sox games in person, I can check out some of the other teams that they will face this year.

Today I was in Scottsdale Stadium for the Giants-Angels game. Proving once again that Hank Steinbrenner is a dumbass, there were lots of people in Red Sox hats, while I only saw one guy in a Yankees hat.

The Angels are going to be good this year. They have a solid offensive lineup. Vlad hit a double off the outfield fence that must have permanently dented the fence. Figgins went 2 for 2 and stole a base (grab him in your fantasy draft if you can). Jered Weaver pitched very well. He threw 5 innings of shutout ball giving up only 2 hits. K-Rod also pitched a scoreless inning.

The Giants on the other hand looked dismal. Their "ace" Matt Cain was shelled in the first inning, giving up 5 runs. He settled down later in the game, but the Giants proved they have no offense. They are in for a long season. The Angels won the game 5-2.

If you can't be in Fort Myers and see the Sox during Spring Training, I highly recommend the Cactus League. Unlike Florida, all of the teams are relatively close together. You can spend a week in AZ in the same location and see the majority of the teams. Thanks to the Internet, you can check in on the Sox score in between innings.

Time For Red Sox-Yankees

The Red Sox and Yankees will play for the first time in the Joe Girardi/Hank era. Even though it is only a spring training game there are some interesting story lines. Andy Pettitte will be starting for the Yankees and there may be some STER...OIDs chants from Sox fans that were able to get tickets in Tampa. Bartolo "el Gordo" Colon will start for the Sox and get to experience the rivalry for the first time. Both teams are playing most of their starters in this game. There is also the Youk/Joba incident and the Papelbon/Hank war of words in the background. Since it is on St. Patrick's Day the Sox may wear their green uniforms. The game will be shown on NESN at 1 pm.

Red Sox-Pirates Update

Dustin Pedroia went yard in the 1st giving Boston an early lead. Julio Lugo is playing again today and is 1-2 in the lead-off spot. Ellsbury has been moved down to 7th in the batting order and is 0-2. Kyle Snyder is pitching well only giving up 1 hit in 3 innings with 2 K's. Okajima followed with a scoreless inning. Sox lead 1-0.

Tomorrow will be the only meeting of the Red Sox and Yankees this spring. The game will be played in Tampa and will be the first time Youk will be facing the Yankees since Joba threw at him.

Beckett Has A Good Throwing Session

Josh Beckett threw pain free today for the first time since he injured his back. The 6 minute session included 46 throws. He now begins a schedule that should have him pitching in 2 weeks. He will not be on the Japan trip but he might pitch April 1 against Oakland, which would be nice since I have tickets to that game.

Wake "Shocked" by Mirabelli's Departure

Wakefield told the Associated Press he was "shocked" when he heard about Mirabelli's release. He did not know that Mirabelli was in danger of being cut by the Sox.

The Red Sox decided to go with Kevin Cash, who they feel can handle the knuckleball. Cash caught four games pitched by Wakefield last season.

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Dumbass Hank Now Whines About Small Market Teams

Hank Steinbrenner spoke with reporters about the mix up between the Yankees and Rays this week and said the following:
"I don't want these teams in general to forget who subsidizes a lot of them, and it's the Yankees, the Red Sox, Dodgers, Mets. I would prefer if teams want to target the Yankees that they at least start giving some of that revenue sharing and luxury tax money back. From an owner's point of view, that's my point."

Since Hank is now all about giving money back, I am sure he will return th $58 million taxpayer dollars paid to bail out his father's shipbuilding company.

Red Sox Bats Come Alive

The Red Sox had 18 hits and 16 runs in today's win over the Reds in Fort Myers. Two of last year's much maligned players had great days; Julio Lugo who had been out with a back injury had 3 hits and J.D. Drew went 3-3 with 2 RBI's. Tek and Moss had a homahs.

In other good news for the Red Sox: Josh Beckett is expected to resume throwing on Sunday.

Dice-K Will Go On Japan Trip

Daisuke Matsuzaka's wife had a baby this morning. There was concern that Dice-K would not make the Japan trip to be with his wife. He is now scheduled to to travel with the team on Wednesday and will likely be the Red Sox starter for game one of the series against Oakland.

Papelbon and Dumbass Hank Trade Barbs

Jonathan Papelbon had some words for Yankee owner Hank Steinbrenner in response to Hanks recent stupid comments about Red Sox Nation.

"I don't know if he's trying to stir things up or not," Papelbon said. "I sure as hell don't care, because he sure as hell hasn't stepped on a baseball field. He needs to just stick to pencil-pushing, I guess."

Yesterday Dumbass Hank responded: "Being insulted by Papelbon is like being attacked by a mouse. John Henry and I traded a couple of jabs good-naturedly, so now, all of a sudden, this player, this 20-something kid who really doesn't know his way in the world, comes out with a personal insult. There's no excuse for that."

Friday, March 14, 2008

Injury Update

Julio Lugo is scheduled to make his return tomorrow at shortstop, he has been out for 12 games.

Coco Crisp is still out with the groin injury and may have lost his job to Jacoby Ellsbury. Coco needed a more than a season to find his swing after the finger injury and the Red Sox may not be willing to wait him out again. Coco said the following when asked about his return and if he would make the Japan trip: "I have no clue, I would love to go out there. I always wanted to go out there, so it would be nice to go out there and see that. We have two games out there, too, so it would be nice to start the season off with the team. We'll have to see. I'll take it slow. I can't rush, because like I said, I go out there and play banged up and it's been unfortunate for myself.

Josh Beckett has not resumed baseball activities and will miss the trip to Japan.

Manny and Drew Go Yard

The new "Mystic Manny" seems to be a good thing. He hit a long ball today against Baltimore. J.D. Drew also went yard. Baltimore is going to be one of the worst teams in baseball this year, so we should get used to Red Sox hitters putting up big stats against the O's.

Dice-K got the start today. He pitched 4 innings, giving up 4 hits and 2 earned runs.

Papelbon pitched 1 inning giving up no hits and striking out 2. He's looking like he is in mid-season form.

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Manny Talks About His New Age Philosophy

Manny is now a full fledged New Ager after reading "The Secret." He spoke with reporters today and said the following: "My uncle, he likes to meditate. He does a lot of yoga classes last year, I started doing it with him."

Big Papi said the following about the new Manny: "He's taking some meditation class now. He thinks that might help him to get his spirit going around so he can go to different places. Some crazy stuff, you know how it is."

Manny, some advice from Fenway West: when you are done with the New Age fad why don't you look into some Jobu Voodoo.

El Gordo Takes the Mound

Bartolo "El Gordo" Colon made his debut in a Red Sox uniform today in Ft. Myers.

He gave up two hits and one run over two innings. Colon struck out one and gave up one walk throwing 26 pitches in total.

Not bad for his first outing after recovering from injury. We are going to need Colon to pitch well and earn a spot as one of the Sox starters.

Okajima continued to pitch well, throwing another scoreless inning.

Mirabelli Released

It seems like it was just last week that the Sox brought back Doug Mirabelli from San Diego to make sure that Wakefield had his personal catcher. Remember the police motorcade? The hero's welcome back in Beantown?

Well it now seems that Mirabelli is expendable. His glove catching the knuckleball has always been great. There's just one problem; he hasn't been hitting the ball.

The ProJo has the details on the guys who will catch Wakefield from here on out.

Thanks for the memories Dougie. We, the fans in Red Sox Nation, are thankful for your years on the roster.

Somewhat Better Outlook on Sox Injuries

Things are looking a little better on the Sox injury front. Julio Lugo took batting practice and may be back in a game tomorrow. Coco Crisp took swings from both sides of the plate yesterday. He's still hurting a little, but this is progress over last week. Get well quick Coco, so you can produce in Spring and the Sox will get more for you in a trade.

Pedroia will be back in the lineup after recovering from the flu. The seriousness of Beckett's injury remains a question. It's unlikely he will accompany the club on the Japan trip. The question here is: Is Beckett's injury really serious, or are the Sox using an abundance of caution to protect their ace?

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Red Sox Game On April 2 Time Change

The second game against the Oakland A's in the U.S. on April 2 has been changed from 7:35 to 12:35 pm after the Players Association made a request to change the start time. The Red Sox want more time to adjust to Eastern time before playing Toronto on April 4. The A's are not happy with the decision by MLB to make the change. Michael Crowley the president of the A's s poke to the SF Chronicle about the time change: "We would prefer not to change the time, obviously, it's not ideal."

Looks like some of you are going to have to come up with a good excuse to miss work.

Cape Cod League gets plunked by MLB

Money-strapped Major League Baseball (note sarcasm) is going after the Cape Cod League, a regular nuturer of major-league talent. MLB is targeting six of the 10 teams that share monikers with major-league teams, seeking to receive royalties on apparel bearing the teams' names. The teams are the Chatham Athletics, Bourne Braves, Harwich Mariners (whose name predates the birth of the Seattle team with that name), Hyannis Mets, Orleans Cardinals, and the Y-D Red Sox. The Cape Cod League presently runs on a meagre budget of less than $2 million. The teams are debating whether to change their names instead of paying what would be a costly expense.

Buchholz Pitching Great Against Twins

Clay Buchholz got the start today in Fort Myers. He's pitched great so far, throwing 3 perfect innings including 3 strikeouts.

The Sox are leading 3-0 thanks to an HR by Tek. Ellsbury has a stolen base.

Royals Fear Colon's Appetite

The Kansas City Royals are bringing back a popular promotion to fill the stadium at home games: "All you can eat seats."

According to the KC Royals: "With All-You-Can-Eat tickets, fans enjoy covered Club Level seats featuring unlimited ballpark fare that includes hot dogs, nachos, peanuts, popcorn and soft drinks for one all-inclusive price. Fans will also receive a souvenir cup, which can be used throughout the game at the self-service beverage station."

It doesn't appear that the "All you can eat seats" will be available during "premium" games. This includes the Red Sox series on August 4-6th. I'm guessing that the Royals feared the financial implications of "all you can eat seats" when Bartolo "el Gordo" Colon was in the house.

Greenwell Considered Using Steroids In Boston

Mike Greenwell spoke to Howard Ulman of the AP about his consideration of steroid use in the late '80's.

"I was very, very tempted as a player to do it," he said yesterday. His wife convinced him not to. "My wife's a nurse, and basically told me she'd kill me if she caught me doing it," Greenwell said. "I think there's many, many players out there that were tempted to do it. Probably if I didn't have my wife, I would have done it to try to perform at that level."

Greenwell finished second in MVP voting to Jose Canseco* in 1988.

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Beckett Will Miss Japan Trip

ESPN is reporting that Josh Beckett will not make the trip to Japan for the opening series against the Oakland A's. Terry Francona told ESPN the following : "we're certainly not going to rush him back to pitch a game March 24 if he's not ready. And I think if you look at it with common sense, he's not going to pitch over there." Dice-K may also miss the trip since his wife is due to give birth. Since Schilling is also injured, Jon Lester or Tim Wakefield may be the opening day starter.

Injury Update and Today's Lineup

From Projo SoxBlog:
Beckett-feeling better today, still no word on Japan Trip
Lugo-will take some swings in the cage today
Crisp-still out, no word on return
Pedroia-has the flu
Ortiz-out of the lineup to continue to rehab his knee

Today's lineup vs Mets:

Jacoby Ellsbury, cf
Kevin Youkilis, 1b
J.D. Drew, rf
Manny Ramirez, lf
Mike Lowell, 3b
Sean Casey, dh
Jed Lowrie, ss
Doug Mirabelli, c
Joe Thurston, 2b
Tim Wakefield, p

Yankees "Jump The Shark" With Crystal Stunt

Have the Yankees really dropped this far? This week the Yankees announced they have signed Billy Crystal to a 1 day minor league contract so he can play on Thursday against the Pirates. You might expect these type of promotions from smaller market teams (think Padres and Garth Brooks) but if this is really Yankee Nation as Hank believes, then why do they have to do lame marketing stunts to get people to pay any attention to them? It's official, the Yankees have "jumped the shark."

Bright Spot in Camp is Sox Pen

While much of the news out of Fort Myers this Spring has focused on the injuries of Schilling and Beckett, the struggling young guns, and the battle for the 5th starter spot, the Sox bullpen has stayed out of the spotlight. But it's the bullpen that seems to be the Sox most dependable asset so far.

Things are looking very good in the Sox pen, especially with the guys slated for the late innings. Hideki Okajima, coming off a great season, is working on a new pitch. He's pitched well lately and seems to be on par to start the season strong.

Manny Delcarmen is looking like he's going to be a breakout star this year. The Bangor Daily News has an in-depth story on him today. He tells the Daily News, "I don’t seem tired, like I have some springs, I feel like I’ve got an extra gear to the ball and right now, I feel great. I could probably throw back-to-back days right now. Everything seems easier right now — the running, the workouts."

Additionally, the recent contract renewal inked with Jonathan Papelbon ensures that the closer will be able to focus on pitching and not contract negotiations.

The pen looks ready to hold on to leads and secure wins. The question remains, who's gonna get us to the 7th?

Monday, March 10, 2008

Chris Carter Looks Good This Spring

Chris Carter came to the Red Sox in the Willy Mo trade with the Nationals last season. Carter went 2-3 today and his average is now .360 for the spring. He can play both the infield and outfield but his arm strength and speed limit his defense. So far he has been a bright spot in a bleak spring for the Red Sox. Even with his great performance this spring it is unlikely he will gain a spot on the team with Kielty and possibly Coco as backups in the outfield and Cora, and Casey as backups in the infield.

Finally Some Good News

The Red Sox did not win today but they did not lose either. Lester pitched well going 4 scoreless innings only giving up 2 hits while striking out 5. Okajima came in and pitched 2 more scoreless innings. The Red Sox pitchers only gave up 1 run in 10 innings. Ellsbury had 2 hits including a lead-off single off of Johan Santana. The rest of the team's bats were still silent but at least they were facing a good pitcher. The ship may be righted and there may be smoother waters ahead...at least from the West Coast perspective where it is sunny and 72 degrees today.

Injuries, Poor Pitching Plague Sox Spring

It's only March 10th, but there is still an unsettled feeling in Red Sox Nation.

First there are the injuries: Schilling is out for who knows how long, maybe forever. Then there are Beckett's back woes. Sure he's listed as day to day, but back injuries have a habit of sticking around. Speaking of back injuries, Julio Lugo is set to see team physician Thomas Gil about his own back problems. Then there's Coco. I shouldn't worry about Coco's injury because he's on his way out of Red Sox Nation, right? But who wants to trade for damaged goods? According to Tito, Crisp, has trouble running straight forward. He told the ProJo, "the burst forward is still not in a position where we want him to try to do something in a game. He’s just not ready.”

Injuries are part of baseball. They are to be expected. I wouldn't be too concerned with the injuries if the uninjured guys were performing well. But they are not. The Sox are 3-8 so far this spring. The main reason for the poor record? Pitching. Buccholz has been shaky, so has Lester, Snyder, Hansen and Tavarez. (each with Spring ERA's over 7.50) Additionally, Dice-K struggled yesterday.

The Sox bats have been pretty quiet also. Pedroia is the only Sox starter from last year with 3 RBI's this Spring.

With the gloomy mood in Fort. Myers resulting from the recent poor performances, there are some bright spots: Wake, Delcarmen and Masterson have looked good so far.

Things aren't likely to improve much today the Sox face the Mets and their newly acquired ace, Johan Santana.

It's only March 10th, but I'm feeling a little nervous.

Sunday, March 9, 2008

Sox Don't Want Marquis

Extra Bases is reporting that the rumored deal with the Cubs is not what the Red Sox are looking for.
"While major league sources indicate the Chicago Cubs have Coco Crisp on their wish list, the Red Sox have no interest in expendable starting pitcher Jason Marquis or Arizona League MVP outfielder Sam Fuld. Both of those names have made the rounds on the airwaves in Chicago, but major league sources indicate the Sox have no interest even with Josh Beckett's back injury potentially creating a need for depth in the starting rotation."

The Coco drama continues....

El Gordo To Pitch Thursday

Bartolo "El Gordo" Colon will take the mound this coming Thursday against the Devil Rays.

Colon likely will get in an inning or two of work. Given the Sox Spring pitiching woes, we need El Gordo to get in to shape and make the roster this spring.

According to Jeff Goldberg at the Hartford Currant, Colon will be limited to 30 pitches. I suggest they limit him to 30 tacos as well.

Beckett Update and Today's Game

Extra Bases has a post saying Tito thought Beckett was way better than expected but he would not speculate on being ready for game 1 in Japan. Goldblog quoted Tito before the game: "He’s termed day to day. In other words, it’s probably best-case scenario of what could have happened yesterday. … I don’t think that it’ll be terribly long, and when you say day-to-day. As soon as this thing settles down, we’ll get him back moving in the right direction. Again, I think we’re all relieved to see him moving around the way he was. I think he was even surprised."
Here is today's lineup:

Jed Lowrie - SS
Alex Cora - 2B
David Ortiz -- DH
Manny Ramirez - LF
Mike Lowell - 3B
J. D. Drew - RF
Sean Casey - 1B
Doug Mirabelli - C
Joe Thurston - CF
Daisuke Matsuzaka - P

Still no Coco, still no Lugo

Coco To The Cubs?

The rumor mill has heated up for Coco and today's rumor has Coco headed to the Cubs for Sam Fuld and Jason Marquis. Do the Sox need this much pitching? Coco is starting to be a headache for Boston so they may just want to get some players they can trade later on. The Herald reported the following about Marquis today:
"Marquis fell out of favor with manager Lou Piniella at the end of the season and recently told Chicago reporters that he would just as soon be traded if he does not win a spot in the Cubs rotation this season. “You know, that galls me about Marquis. It really does,” Piniella said. “I’m not pleased with that comment at all. We’ve had a good camp over here. Everybody’s getting an opportunity. Go out and win a spot in the rotation. Nobody’s going to stand in your way if you do it. That’s the easy way out.”

Do the Red Sox want to trade one headache for another?

Saturday, March 8, 2008

Coco Says Jacoby Is Not Ready

Coco Crisp is starting to feel more pressure with each day he misses. He was out again today and most likely will not be back in the lineup until Monday. Jacoby started out slow this spring and his average is still south of the Mendoza Line, but he is showing signs of breaking out of the slump with a 3-5 effort today including his first home run. When asked about the competition by mlb.com Coco had this to say about Ellsbury:
"So as far as the competition thing, Ellsbury's a solid player. He just needs a little bit more time to get ... established in the big leagues. In order to do that, you need more time in there ... to get used to the pitchers and things like that, in order to be a good ballplayer. I already did some good things in the big leagues. The last couple of years, I had some down seasons, and a lot of people got on me, but I could care less to be honest. ... I feel like if I was healthy ... I'd have been fine."
Coco...you were healthy for a good portion of the last 2 years and you did not get it done and seeing that you are injured again just how long does Boston have to wait until you are the player you think you are? It's been 2+ years and we are still waiting.I would rather have an inexperienced Ellsbury as the center fielder than an perpetually hurt Coco.

10 Players Cut From Roster

The Naples News reports that the Sox have made some moves to bring their roster to 46 players.

Pitchers Edgar Martinez and David Pauley were optioned to AAA Pawtucket. Pitcher Kyle Jackson and infielder Argenis Diaz were optioned to AA Portland.

Six non-roster invitees: pitchers Michael Bowden, Hunter Jones, and Justin Masterson and infielders Jeff Bailey, Tony Granadillo, and Gil Velazquez were re-assigned to the minor league camp.

Trouble in Ft. Myers: Beckett Hurts Back

There's trouble brewing in Red Sox Nation. Spring has not been kind to Red Sox pitching. First came the news of Schilling's major shoulder problems, then the Sox young arms have pitched like they are still in AA. Now comes word that Beckett is hurting.

Beckett experienced back spasms while warming up for today's game. The Associated Press reports that the Sox ace was holding his lower back and walked to the dugout with an apparent limp.

Back injuries can be big trouble for pitchers. We'll post more as details of the injury become available. Crap
.

Sox in Trade Talks With Padres

San Diego Padres centerfielder Jim Edmonds is going to be sidelined for a while with a strained calf. The Padres are going to try using Scott Hairston in center, but that may not be ideal. According to the San Diego Union Tribune, Padres GM Kevin Towers isn't ruling out a trade for a center fielder.

Never one to miss an opportunity, Theo got in quick contact with Towers to discuss a possible trade deal.

The Sox would move Coco to the Padres. The Sox are reportedly interested in either Chase Headley or Matt Antonelli.

Towers told the San Diego Tribune, “We won't give up either of those guys.”

Keep an eye on this one folks, it could be a real opportunity for the Sox.

Friday, March 7, 2008

Coco Says He Played Hurt Last Season

Coco Crisp is starting to see the writing on the wall. Even with Jacoby struggling out of the gate this season he seems to be the starting center fielder. Coco was called the incumbent before the start of spring training but once he missed a few games with a groin injury the Red Sox found a way to make him a reserve player. Today Coco responded to his position on the team by telling the Union Leader the following:

"I played with a broken toe, an oblique injury, (and) I was freaking popping my shoulder all crazy trying to dive for balls," said Crisp, who clarified that the toe was actually a fracture to the sesamoid bone on the ball of his left foot. "I know, and I think the team knows, that I went out there and played hurt last year. Not to be rewarded with an actual opportunity to help, it kind of hurts."

Coco's days in Boston are numbered; he is starting to sound like Nomar before he was traded.

Red Sox Pitchers Look Like They Are Throwing BP

This will not go down as a good day for Sox pitching. Yes, it is spring training and pitchers are trying out new pitches but many are also competing for a spot on the roster. Take a look at some of the numbers put up by Sox pitchers today:

	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Buchholz	3.0	3	3	3	0	3	2	12.60
Papelbon	2.0	3	2	2	0	1	0	4.50
Lopez	1.0	1	1	1	1	0	0	3.00

	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Tavarez	2.2	4	4	4	2	1	0	7.94
Snyder	3.0	5	5	5	2	1	1	7.50

Buchholz Continues to Struggle

It's only the second inning in today's Sox-Twins game in Ft. Myers, but one thing is already clear: Buchholz is not ready for the regular season. He's already given up two taters and hit a batter. He's given up 3 earned runs in the game so far.

Meanwhile Tavarez goes 2.2 giving up 4 hits and 2 walks and 4 earned runs. Does anyone want to be the 5th starter? Bartolo, the door is open maybe you can squeeze through.(no pun intended)

Jacoby is 0-2.....is Santana still available?

Papelbon goes 2 innings giving up 2 earned runs...good thing he got his $ yesterday.

The Manny Rewards Program

Increasingly baseball contracts are filled with incentives. Recent contracts have included clauses providing extra cash for making the playoffs, staying healthy, or reaching statistical milestones.

Manny has taken it upon himself to augment the Red Sox contracts with his own incentives program. We'll call it "Manny Rewards." The primary beneficiary of the Manny Rewards program is 2nd baseman Dustin Pedroia. Manny felt that Pedroia needed some bling to go along with his Rookie of the Year trophy, so Manny bought Pedroia a Rolex watch.

Manny told the ProJo: “He’s a great kid with a great heart. I love him. He’s got a great personality and I don’t care what he does on the field because, as a person, he’s such a great guy. You can talk to him and he’s always happy and working hard.”

“If he hits .300 this year, I’ll give him something else,” Ramirez said. “I want him to keep it going.”

Split Squad Today

The Red Sox are splitting up for two today; one against the Twins and one against the O's. Here are the lineups from Extra Bases:
vs. Twins
Argenis Diaz, SS
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
David Ortiz, DH
Manny Ramirez, LF
J.D. Drew, RF
Jason Varitek, C
Sean Casey, 1B
Keith Ginter, 3B
Jonathan Van Every, CF
P -- Clay Buchholz

vs O's
Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Jed Lowrie, 2B
Kevin Youkilis, 1B
Mike Lowell, 3B
Brandon Moss, LF
Alex Cora, SS
Bobby Kielty, RF
Chris Carter, DH
Dusty Brown, C
P -- Julian Tavarez

Things of note: Coco and Lugo are both still out, Buccholz and Tavarez are both looking to earn the #5 spot, pressure starting to build on Jacoby who has only one hit this spring.

Dice-K is Scheduled To Make the Japan Trip

Dice-K is expecting his second kid on March 19th but is now scheduled to be with the team for the Japan trip barring any unforeseen problems.

Manny's "Secret" Weapon

Jeff Horrigan of the Herald reports seeing Manny Ramirez in the clubhouse reading the New Age self help book The Secret with a highlighter. It must be required reading for the Scott Boras Agency book club. Manny may also be loading up the Ipod with Yanni to get him through the long innings in left. Here is a quote that Manny may have highlighted: "You are the most powerful magnet in the universe . . . so as you think a thought, you are also attracting like thoughts to you." Could this make us all finally understand Manny? File this one under Manny being......well, Manny I guess. Manny as a New Ager is not the image most people arrive at when they think of the self described "Bad Man."

Thursday, March 6, 2008

Will Coco Be On The Other Side of the Diamond When The Sox are on the Other Side of the World?

According to Buster Olney of ESPN.com the Red Sox are still discussing a trade with the Oakland A's involving Coco Crisp. Billy Beane likes to get players cheap and Coco's $4 million salary for a has to be enticing. It would make for an interesting storyline if Coco were on the opposing team when the Sox open up in Japan on the 25th. The Red Sox still need the a catcher for the future, and you can never have too much pitching. Coco was out again today to go to the dentist (along with resting his groin) but it seems he could have an appointment after the game or could have been given at least 1 AB. Is this a sign of an imminent deal? Tito has to make some roster moves soon so do the Sox carry Kielty, Ellsbury, and Coco? Look for a move soon, unless Jacoby continues to struggle at the plate.

Tito's take on the absence of Coco: “It’s not an issue yet, but we’re trying to make some decisions and (missing almost a week) doesn’t make it any easier, that’s for sure.”

Papelbon Gets His $

Thanks to The Bottom Line for the heads up on this one. Papelbon gets $775,000 for the year...now he needs to go back to throwing strikes and attempting to dance.

Spring training for all

It takes skill, this following baseball. I mean following a single game, in progress. It takes practice. It takes training. Especially following a game on the radio, which I do a lot living out here in the Rocky Mountain West, where most of my Red Sox fixes are injected either through MLB.com or via XM Radio.

So while the BoSox are in spring training, so am I. I'm getting this football softened brain back into shape -- working hard on my ability to maintaining a running consciousness of the status of a ball game whilst keeping up the pace of my multitasking of daily work and life. It takes me a few weeks before my mental dexterity returns to its major-league game-ready regular-season agility. So I'm thankful for those few weeks of spring training games to work on my own game.

But the reward of this spring training is more than merely sharpening my mental game-tracking skills, of course -- just the same way that the joy of following those Grapefruit League games is more than just notching the (relatively) meaningless wins and losses. Spring training is about ... spring. (And here in the southern Rocky Mountains, where this ex-pat New Englander now lives, spring is most welcome this year.)

So when I tune my browser to a spring Red Sox game, sure, I'm rooting for each at bat. And, yes, I'm working on my ability to follow the game while I do my work, since games that matter are only a few weeks away (and work never goes away). But, really, what I'm doing is listening to music, like some cool jazz, feeling the groove, tuning in to musical soundtrack of spring itself.

With Joe Castiglione on vocals.

Moneyball Part II

Bill James of Moneyball fame has been working as a consultant with the Red Sox for a few years. He has a new book coming out that includes a series of essays about how his data shows the game differently. He was interviewed by Time Magazine about the shift teams use when Papi comes to the plate:

Time: You use some colorful language in the book, making the reams of statistical information much more reader-friendly. At one point, you basically compare teams that use the shift against Boston Red Sox star David Ortiz to "Polocks hunting landmines." You say they're "dumb." Though you are quick to point out that there are only "three Polish guys" who are "offended by Polock jokes." Why push the envelope?

Bill James: Everybody who is my age, or everybody who is over 30, knows that joke. I mean, I'm not sure I get the point of the over-shift against David Ortiz. It helps you if he hits a ground ball, but if the bomb goes off, you can put those infielders anywhere you want to, it doesn't really do you any good. The damage that David does comes when he hits the ball 380 feet. It really does not matter much where you put your infielders when that happens.

James will also be featured on an upcoming episode of 60 Minutes. His book The Bill James Goldmine will be available on March 13.

Sox-Dodgers Update

The Red Sox are facing D-Lowe today in Fort Myers. Ellsbury is on the board with his first hit of spring (double)...Pedroia is 2-2 with 2 RBI's...Wake is pitching well with 1 hit in 3 innings...Casey has another hit. Sox lead 3-0.
Items of note: Coco is getting a root canal today....Joe Torre faces the Sox without the rivalry.

Update: Timlin gives up 2 hits including a gopher ball in 1 inning...Casey and Moss get RBI's...Sox lead 5-1

Papelbon Remains Unsigned

The ProJo has the latest on the situation with Jonathan Papelbon's contract discussions. Reportedly, Papelbon wants $900,000 while the Sox are offering $750,000. Today is the Red Sox self-imposed deadline for inking a deal.

Let's hope it gets resolved and doesn't become a distraction for Papelbon or the Sox.

Over at the NESN, Keven Paul Dupont and Bob Ryan discuss the situation. Watch it below.

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Trouble In Yankeeland As Joba Struggles

The Yankees began to wonder why they passed on Johan today when their young pitcher struggled on the mound. Joba gave up a long home run to the Twins #8 hitter. Kennedy was not much better today as the starter. Girardi had the following to say about his pitchers: "Neither one of them was extremely sharp today. It's a learning experience. They're not going to be perfect every time out. I'm sure they .understand that. This is a humbling game and I don't care who you are, you're going to struggle at times." NY Newsday was already saying this about Yankee pitching: "the Yankees, their fans and even Hank Steinbrenner are going to have to be patient at times."

Sox-Reds Update

Lester has better control to start the game and is getting the curve ball over the plate for strikes today but some hitters are getting to him. He has given up 4 hits and 1 run 2 innings. At the plate Kevin Cash gets a 2 run single giving the Sox a 2-1 lead.

Update: Lester goes 3 strong innings giving up 4 hits, 1 run, 2 K's, and 1 walk.....Oki comes in and retires them in order (the "Doki-Doki" seems to be working). Delcarmen take the hill for the 5th and gets 3 quick outs including 2 K's.

Update 2: Lopez gets shelled... gives up 4 hits, a walk, 5 runs, and beans a batter in 1 inning...Sox now losing 6-2

Update 3: Sox battle back with 4 runs in the 7th but end up losing 7-6.

The good: Lester, Oki, and Delcarmen all pitch well.
The bad: Pedroia and Tek go a combined 0-6 with 3 K's and 5 L.O.B.
The ugly: Lopez gets a blown save giving up 5 runs in 1 inning

Schilling Likes What He Sees From Colon

Curt Schilling gave an update from Fort Myers on his blog today and had the following to say about Bartolo Colon:
"Had a chance to see Bartolo throw again today and I was blown away. He looks incredible. Throwing the snot out of the ball and very free and easy. Could be a huge steal, not sure how other teams passed on him. He looked awesome the 10 minutes I watched him throw."

Youk, Tek, and Pedroia Talk About Manny

Red Sox players spoke with Glenn Miller of News-Press.com and had the following to say about Manny:

Youk: "Nothing amazes me with him. He's going to be a Hall-of-Famer. People don't realize how special he is. I think people don't also realize the fact that he's pretty much a lock to get into the Hall of Fame. There's no doubt about it. I don't think Manny hears anything, he's calm, cool, collected. If he hears some stuff, he'll laugh about it. Some people say some stuff that is hilarious. He blocks out a lot. People don't realize, when people are screaming, you don't hear anything. Manny is probably the best at concentration."

Tek: "When he came up, the best right-handed pure hitter at the time was Edgar Martinez, and if anybody resembles that and adds even more power to it, it's Manny."

Pedroia: "He's a Hall-of-Famer, that's pretty much the only thing I can say. He's one of the greatest right-handed hitters of all time. Just being around him every day, we learn a lot from him."

Manny is going to hit HR #500 this season, head over to Red Sox Fan From Pinstripe Territory to enter the contest on the date of Manny's historic home run.

Lineup for Today's Game

Dustin Pedroia 2b
Kevin Youkilis 1b
Jason Varitek DH
Manny Ramirez RF
Mike Lowell 3b
JD Drew LF
Julio Lugo SS
Jonathan Van Every CF
Kevin Cash C
Jon Lester P

Items of note: Coco is still sidelined...Pedroia at the top of the ohdah....Van Every gets the start in center....game is on WEEI today.

Lester Will Be Back On The Mound Today

Jon Lester had trouble finding the plate in his last start over the weekend but will have a chance to redeem himself today at 1 pm Eastern against the Reds in Fort Myers. He blamed his last performance on nervousness and getting too picky. This being spring training he can have an outing like that but if he does it back to back there may be some pressure from Snyder, Pauley, Masterson and possibly Colon. Lester pitched very well in Game 4 of the World Series and has a 11-2 career record but he also has a career ERA of 4.68. This should be a breakout year for him as he joins the rotation full time and is injury free. Today's start needs to be much better if he is on the track the Red Sox have projected him to be.

Red Sox Cookie-Off 3

The third annual Red Sox cookie-off is took place yesterday with Gabe Kapler stopping by to defend his title. You can watch all of the action here. You would think Schilling would win with all of the free time he now has.

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Papelbon Wants More Cash

After another good outing today Papelbon spoke with reporters and talked about the negotiations with the team. He is not up for arbitration until next year so the Red Sox do not have to increase his salary but he has started to make some noise: "it’s a tough situation for me right now because I’m at a point where I feel like the position I’m in, there’s a certain standard that needs to be put put in place here,’’ said Papelbon after his scoreless inning of work here in a game against the Pirates. “I feel like with me being at the top of my position, I feel like that standard needs to be set and I’m the one to set that standard...I don’t think the Red Sox really necessarily are seeing eye to eye with me on that subject right now. Hopefully we can get somewhere. We’re chugging away at this thing and we want to get it done, believe me and we can move on....At the same time, I feel a certain obligation to not only to myself and my family to make the money I deserve but for the game of baseball. I mean, Mariano Rivera has been doing it for the past 10 years. With me coming up behind him, I feel a certain obligation to do the same. And, yeah, I’m at the mercy of the club right now to a certain extent but you know, it’s just a matter of ironing out the numbers and we haven’t ironed them out yet. Hopefully we can get a mutual agreement...I don’t want to renew, I don’t want to but if I have to, I have to, that’s just the cold, hard facts of it and if I have to do that to set the tone, that’s what I do. We’ll figure something out.’’
I hate this part of the game of baseball; players want to get more money than a club wants to offer them before becoming a free agent and then players want to get paid for past performances after their prime.(just ask Scott Boras) Papelbon has every right to ask for more money but do it through your agent not through the press....and why do you throw Rivera into the argument?

Sox- Pirates Update

Dice-K is on the mound again today. His performance is not on par with his first start as he has given up 1 run and 2 hits including a double and triple as well as 2 walks in 3 innings. At the plate Jacoby and Sean Casey are still in search of their first hits of the spring. Manny has a double and scored a run when J.D. drove him in. Papelbon is expected to pitch later in the game.

Update: Papelbon retires them in order in the 4th....Jacoby 0-2...Casey gets his first hit of spring (its a double) SS Diaz drives in Drew...Sox lead 2-1... Tavarez takes the mound.

Update 2: Tavarez pitches well...Jacoby ends his day 0-3(still no hits this spring)....Casey goes 2-3.....Hansen has a better showing with 1 scoreless inning....off-season pickup Van Every gets an RBI...Sox lead 4-1

Crisp Is Sidelined...Time For Jacoby to Step Up

Coco Crisp will be out a few days with a groin strain giving Jacoby Ellsbury a few consecutive starts to prove he deserves the starting spot. So far he has demonstrated his speed and has a few RBI's but no hits. The door is wide open for him to take the spot with a few quality games. Is he the player Red Sox Nation thinks he is? The next few games will give us that answer.

Over/Under on Sox Wins Set at 94

The Las Vegas Hilton sports book has posted betting lines on over/under win totals for the 2008 Major League Baseball regular schedule.

Red Sox 94; Yankees 93.5

Seems like it would be wise to drop a C-Note on this one. For the Sox over, of course. The Yankees under also looks like a nice bet.

Monday, March 3, 2008

Sox Lose To Marlins...Still No Hits For Jacoby

The Red Sox dropped their second consecutive spring training game to the Marlins by a score of 3-2. Boston only managed to get 3 hits in the outing. Jacoby Ellsbury is still searching for his first hit of the spring but he did get a sac fly and a stolen base. Snyder pitched well going 3 scoreless innings and giving up 2 hits. Masterson did not pitch as well as he did in his first outing and gave up 4 hits and a run in 2 innings. The worst performance of the day belongs to Dan Kolb who walked 3 and gave up a hit in 1/3 of an inning.

Colon Does Well In His First Bullpen Session

Bartolo Colon threw 42 pitches today and according to pitching coach John Farell he "hit both sides of the plate and may have thrown a few pitches that approached 90 miles per hour." Colon is scheduled to make his first start on March 15th but may be moved up. If he continues to do well he will put some pressure on Buchholz and Tavarez for the #5 spot.

Mike Lowell Holds Fundraising Event...Pedroia Embarrasses Himself

Mike Lowell held a cancer fund raiser in Florida yesterday where there was a "Dancing with the Stars" component. Papelbon and Pedroia participated...here is what Pedroia and Tito said about the event:

"[Papelbon's shirt] was terrible," Pedroia said. "I thought my body pulled it off, and his didn’t. That’s my personal opinion. A lot of women, they loved it."

Pedroia threw his shirt to owner John Henry, nearly killing manager Terry Francona in the process.

"I thought I was going to have a heart attack," Francona said. "My chest hurt, I was laughing so h.ard. Pedroia is a moron. You can write that. He is a moron. He was dancing, he looked like a puppet on a string. He’s such a little gamer, but he’s looking over knowing we were crushing him. He’s drinking the Red Bull. He’s exhausted. He’s trying to do these things with this girl he’s not strong enough to do. It was hilarious.

"They showed me something getting up on that stage, because I guarantee they were scared to death

Mirabellli Describes Catching Wakefield's Knuckler

Doug Mirabelli talked to WBZ radio in Boston about his Spring Training routine, and what it's like to catch Tim Wakefield's knuckleball. Listen to Mirabelli's interview here.

Asked if a Wakefield was coming out of high school this year if he would even be drafted, Mirabelli said he doubted he would. The knuckleballer is truly a dying bread. WBZ's Jon Miller described Wakefield as one of the most underrated pitchers in the game.

Sunday, March 2, 2008

Hansen Awful in Loss to Twins

Pitcher Craig Hansen, working to earn a spot in the Sox pen, looked awful today. He faced 9 batters giving up three walks, two hits, and hit a Twins batter. Hansen had 4 earned runs in the lone inning that he pitched, debuting his ERA for the Spring at 36.00.

Hansen usually has good stuff. He had an ERA of 3.86 in Pawtucket last season. He features a fastball in the mid-high 90's and a good slider. It's too early for this to mean much of anything. Let's hope Hansen gets back on track in his next outing.

The Sox lost to the Twins 8-2. Lowell and Pedroia had the only RBI's for the Sox, both going 1-3. Lowell hit an HR in the 2nd inning.

Wake Looks Good, Buchholz Shaky

Tim Wakefield pitched two scoreless innings today, giving up one hit and no walks. He looked good.

Buchholz, on the other hand, did not. The Twins were able to bat around in the 3rd before Buchholz was able to get out of the inning. Buchholz gave up two doubles, two singles and a long ball in the inning.

Let's hope he's just trying out some new stuff.

John Henry Makes Steinbrenner an Official Member of Red Sox Nation

Red Sox Owner John Henry told the Boston Herald the following in an email:
""Just to ensure he knows how cool Red Sox Nation is, [Saturday] we officially inducted him as a member of Red Sox Nation and we are sending him his membership card giving him access to an array of options including our newsletter, bumper stickers, pins, Green Monster seats and a hat personally autographed by David Ortiz."

If you want to send anything to Hank yourself you can mail it to:
Hank Steinbrenner
Legends Field
1 Steinbrenner Dr.,
Tampa, FL 33614

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